WHAT IS IT?
An ‘Animator’ (Advocate) is someone ‘dedicated to spreading the teachings of Pope Francis’s Encyclical ‘Laudato Si’ – Care for Our Common Home’. There are a growing number of Animators globally – hence in every UK diocese including our own Diocese of Leeds.
The current animator for our diocese is David Jackson, of St Walburga’s in Shipley. Many supporters of J&P,CAFOD and ACTA will be familiar with David. He has been an indefatigable climate change campaigner and great supporter of a more synodal church.
However, David is now in his 80’s and would like to hand over the role to someone a bit younger.
Below, David sets out what the role involves. It may look a bit frightening! But what anyone reading it must understand is that the person doing this role does not do all of it alone. The point of being described as an ‘animator’ is that, central to this, you are animating other people to do a lot of the work – and this includes the J&P Commission itself as well as other parts of the diocesan curia.
QUALIFICATIONS
The position is open to all present LSI Animators (‘Graduates’ of the on-line course offered periodically by the LSI Movement based in Rome within the dicastery for Human Development)
OR – IMPORTANTLY –
to anyone willing to complete the course to become a LSIA. No previous formal qualifications are required.
AIM
To work with the clergy and people of the diocese. This is so:
• we all appreciate that care for our common home lies at the very heart of our faith – it becomes part of our core Catholic identity.
• That, as a result, all are inspired to take practical action and advocate for taking better care of our ‘Common Home’.
• That this conversion is expressed in worship, participation, community and mission.
• That the diocese, from the Bishop and its curial centre to its parishes, schools and organisations, becomes a ‘LAUDATO SI DIOCESE’.
HOW WILL THIS BE ACHIEVED?
By working with attention to the Diocesan Environmental policy, in close collaboration with and receiving support from:
• the Laudato Si Movement (Rome) and the UK LSIA organisation;
• Within the Diocese: the projected Diocesan Sustainability Director; the Diocesan Pastoral Council; the Curia Laudato Si Management Group; the Vicariate for Education; the J&P Climate Action group; SPARK; CAFOD (LiveSimply parish scheme); Leeds Trinity University Leeds Director of Sustainability & Director of Catholic Mission; the existing network of diocesan LSIAs and LSI supporters; ACTA; Caritas.
PERSONAL QUALITIES?
A person who is convinced that care for our common home is a constitutive element in the preaching of the Gospel and who:
• is familiar with the teaching of Laudat Si and is able to communicate its messages and so animate and empower both clergy and laity to take action in its spirit;
• takes joy in creation and is able to work with and learn from others in parishes and school communities to inspire hope for its preservation and protection;
• is able to recognise and appreciate that everyone is at a different stage of the ecological conversion journey and find ways to accompany them;
• can develop and strengthen links creatively between faith and ecological and social justice, and is able to celebrate these in liturgy, worship, prayer and contemplation;
• has a creative approach to the ways that action for ecological and social justice can be taken by way of both practical carbon cutting measures, sustainable living as well as advocacy, lobbying and pressure on government and industry;
• is able to work cooperatively with all other diocesan and external agencies working for care for our common home mentioned above – and some outside of the Diocese as well
If this might be of interest to you then please email jandp@dioceseofleeds.org.uk and we will pass on your contact details to David
Ideally, it would be good to get someone in place in September or October.